Happy Monday everyone.
It's another beautiful day in the Houston Metro area. I Experienced the large crowd headed to the annual Houston Offshore Technology Conference at Reliant Stadium with all the cars exiting off of south 610 loop this morning as I was trying to enter 610 to head to Clearlake.
| | JSC TODAY CATEGORIES - Headlines
- Let's Talk Mars
- Provide Feedback: 2014 Employee Viewpoint Survey
- JSC Spring Fair Shred Truck Report-How Did We Do? - Organizations/Social
- HERG Hosting Cinco de Mayo Social at La Brisa
- AIAA Houston ATS Kickoff w/ Cdr. Chris Cassidy
- IEEE EMC Mtg: Validation of Computational Emag
- Johnson Space Center Astronomy Society Meeting
- James Avery Astronaut Charm Available at Starport
- Health & Fitness Month - Get Healthy & Win Prizes
- Mother's Day Specials at Starport - Jobs and Training
- Intro to JSC Library Training - May 8
- Job Opportunities - Community
- Come Launch Some Rockets |  |
| Headlines - Let's Talk Mars
NASA is developing the capabilities needed to send astronauts to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars in the 2030s. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and other agency leadership showcased NASA's human exploration path to Mars at an Exploration Forum on Tuesday, April 29. To watch the complete two-and-a-half-hour video, click here. It's time to dream big! JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111
[top] - Provide Feedback: 2014 Employee Viewpoint Survey
This week the Office of Personnel Management will send out links to complete the 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The purpose of this survey is to gather input and measure employees' attitudes and perceptions for topic areas such as leadership and knowledge management, performance culture and job satisfaction. The ultimate goal of the survey is to provide agencies with a true perspective of current strengths and challenge areas. We encourage your voluntary participation in this survey and hope you view this as an opportunity to influence positive change in our agency. - JSC Spring Fair Shred Truck Report–How Did We Do?
If you were one of the many JSC team members who participated in the April 3 shred truck activity sponsored by the NASA Federal Credit Union, you may be interested in the recent report showing how much we helped the environment and ourselves. Aside from significantly cutting down on potential identity fraud, the shred activity helped preserve the environment by collecting more than 3.5 tons of paper in less than three hours. That amounts to 60 trees that were saved, along with 24,500 gallons of water and 14,350 KW of energy. In addition, 201 pounds of pollutants were kept from the atmosphere and 18 cubic yards of landfill were saved, resulting in a total financial value of $18,210. Save the date for next year's Spring Safety, Health and Environmental Fair: Wednesday, April 22. Organizations/Social - HERG Hosting Cinco de Mayo Social at La Brisa
The Hispanic Employee Resource Group (HERG) will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo Social at La Brisa Mexican Grill today, after work. This event is an excellent opportunity to network with members of the JSC community and other ERG members. Make plans to join us on the patio at 5 p.m. for a game of washers or to just socialize. Everyone is welcome! Location: La Brisa Mexican Grill, 501 N. Wesley, League City, 77573 Event Date: Today, May 5 Event Start Time: 5 p.m. Event End Time: 8 p.m. Read more about the history of Cinco de Mayo. - AIAA Houston ATS Kickoff w/ Cdr. Chris Cassidy
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Houston Section welcomes Commander Chris Cassidy as he kicks off our Annual Technical Symposium (ATS). Before becoming an astronaut, Cassidy served 10 years as a Navy Seal and made four six-month deployments to Afghanistan and the Mediterranean. In 2004, Cassidy was selected as an astronaut by NASA. Before completing his first flight, he served as Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control. Cassidy flew on STS-127, which helped complete the construction of the Japanese Kibo module on the International Space Station (ISS). Most recently, Cassidy served as a flight engineer on Expedition 35/36, living and working on the ISS for more than five months. During his NASA career, Cassidy has completed six spacewalks totaling 31 hours, 14 minutes, and has accumulated 182 days in space. - IEEE EMC Mtg: Validation of Computational Emag
Dr. Alistair Duffy, a reader in Electromagnetics at De Montfort University in Leicester, Great Britain, will present "Validation of Computational Electromagnetics." Computer simulation of electromagnetics is widespread thanks to the continuous improvement in computational resources and the increased efficiency of the software tools themselves. Easy-to-use interfaces make it easier for non-experts to use the tools, so care must be taken over the validation of those tools. This talk discusses the work the IEEE EMC Society is doing to provide a framework to undertake that validation and developments in the heuristic comparison technique, FSV, that is used to quantify the comparison data as part of the standard itself. Duffy is a Fellow of the IET and a board member of the IEEE EMC Society. Lunch is available for $8. Please RSVP indicating lunch or no lunch. Event Date: Thursday, May 22, 2014 Event Start Time:11:30 AM Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: Discovery Room - Gilruth Recreation Center
Add to Calendar
George May 281-226-8543
[top] - Johnson Space Center Astronomy Society Meeting
The May JSC Astronomy Society meeting will feature Dr. Stan Love presenting on the challenges of traveling to Mars. Love's experiences in Antarctica provide him lots of insight to share on logistics and planning for such a major undertaking. We'll have several other short presentations, like: the novice Q&A session; observing the May sky with suggestions for beginners; the always intriguing "Astro Oddities;" dates for our upcoming star parties; and a few informative members' minutes. Have you considered buying yourself a telescope? Once you're a member, you can borrow one of ours for FREE prior to purchasing your own. Is there a topic in astronomy you want to learn more about? You can borrow an educational DVD from our library of hundreds of DVDs. Membership to the JSC Astronomy Society is open to anyone who wants to learn about astronomy. There are no dues, no bylaws -- you just come to our meeting. - James Avery Astronaut Charm Available at Starport
The NASA-exclusive James Avery astronaut charm is available in the Starport Gift Shops for just $90. This is a wonderful way to commemorate the women working in the space industry, honor the men they care for who played a part in American history and those who dream of the chance to experience the wonders of space for themselves. Order yours today while supplies last! - Health & Fitness Month - Get Healthy & Win Prizes
The first full week of JSC's Health and Fitness Month is underway. Here are this week's opportunities to get healthier and earn prizes: Monday: Purchase a mindful meal in one of the cafés. Tuesday: Meet up for a Wellness Walk outside Building 3 at 11 a.m. Wednesday: Come check out all Starport and the Gilruth Center has to offer at a Mini-Fitness Expo in the Building 3 café. Thursday: Test your luck and get moving at the same time by walking around the JSC mall and building the best poker hand. Starts at 11 a.m. outside Building 3. All Week: Earn a ticket each day you ride your bike to work or attend a group exercise class at the Gilruth. For more information about the entire month of activities and prizes, please visit the Starport website below. - Mother's Day Specials at Starport
Starport celebrates moms and all they do with 15 percent off all ladies' apparel and gift items. Excludes James Avery charms, autographed books and special-order items, and cannot be combined with other offers/discounts. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers at JSC from Starport! Jobs and Training - Intro to JSC Library Training - May 8
The Scientific and Technical Information Center, or JSC Library, provides access to several engineering, technical and scientific databases that contain, e-books, abstract and full-text journals and conference proceedings. It is also the official repository for five-digit JSC documents. Make searching for these resources a lot easier by joining the library for a training session from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 8. To register, go to this link. - Job Opportunities
Where do I find job opportunities? To help you navigate to JSC vacancies, use the filter drop-down menu and select "JSC HR." The "Jobs" link will direct you to the USAJOBS website for the complete announcement and the ability to apply online. Lateral reassignment and rotation opportunities are posted in the Workforce Transition Tool. To access: HR Portal > Employees > Workforce Transition > Workforce Transition Tool. These opportunities do not possess known promotion potential; therefore, employees can only see positions at or below their current grade level. If you have questions about any JSC job vacancies or reassignment opportunities, please call your HR representative. Community - Come Launch Some Rockets
Itching to launch some rockets? Now is your chance! The SystemsGo Aeroscience High School Program needs volunteers Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. SystemsGo is an educational nonprofit supporting progressive and innovative STEM programs in high schools throughout Texas. Volunteer to help 19 gulf-coast-area high schools test the project vehicles that they have designed and fabricated to either loft a one-pound payload to one mile or attempt transonic velocity. Volunteers will assist with Stage 2/range safety review, Stage 3/recovery deployment installation, launch pad prep/test, fill/fire control, GPS tracking and more. All volunteers will be trained prior to launch date. GPS tracking - two volunteers needed daily Pad techs - two volunteers needed daily Mission Control - two volunteers needed daily Runner - one volunteer needed daily Location: Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge | |
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| JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles. Disclaimer: Accuracy and content of these notes are the responsibility of the submitters. |
NASA and Human Spaceflight News
Monday – May 5, 2014
HEADLINES AND LEADS
Agreement Formalizes French, U.S. Roles on Ocean-mapping Satellite Mission
Peter B. de Selding – Space News
The French space agency, CNES, on May 2 said it had signed with NASA a formal work-share agreement on the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) altimetry satellite to be launched in 2020.
U.S. Sanctions against Russia Sowing Confusion, Caution among Space Firms
Peter B. de Selding – Space News
Morocco's decision to drop the European version of Russia's Soyuz rocket as a backup launch option for two Moroccan reconnaissance satellites is the latest example of the ripple effects of the U.S. government's sanctions against Russia for its incursion into Ukraine, industry officials said.
Matt Reed: So reliant on Russia, it's scary
Matt Reed – Florida Today
Making the most of Soviet space technology once seemed like an economical way to keep peace with the Russians.
Ochoa: Johnson Space Center continues to inspire youth and innovation
Ellen Ochoa – Houston Chronicle
Did you know that there's been a Houstonian in space every minute of the past 13 ½ years? Or that Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center leads a 15-country team ensuring safe and successful operations of a multinational crew onboard the International Space Station?
Space notebook: Drones, 3 launches in 2 weeks, SpaceX delivers
James Dean – Florida Today
Space Florida ready to release drones
Looking for a unique Mother's Day experience? Take mom to watch some drones.
Space Florida next Sunday will host a flight demonstration featuring unmanned aerial systems, or UAS — popularly known as drones — from more than 10 companies.
Antares gets a new launch date from Wallops
Tamara Dietrich - Newport News (VA) Daily Press
Another Antares rocket is set to blast off from Wallops to resupply the International Space Station, but most of Hampton Roads will likely sleep right through it.
Astronaut pair happy to step into Hall
Scott Gunnerson – Florida Today
Shannon Lucid and Jerry Ross of the shuttle era were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Astronaut launches space meal contest
Pallab Ghosh – BBC News
British Astronaut Tim Peake has asked schoolchildren to create a meal for him to eat in space.
Space Day: Astronaut from Maine shares space adventures
Bonnie Washuk - Lewiston (ME) Sun Journal
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy asked Auburn Middle School students to imagine they were floating near the gym ceiling.
Former astronaut, KU grad shares tales of NASA's early days
Joanna Hlavacek – Lawrence (KS) Journal World
Around 200 people packed the Spahr Engineering Classroom on the Kansas University campus Friday afternoon to hear a speech from former NASA astronaut and KU alumnus Joe Engle.
Hardy Little Micro-Organisms From Earth Could Hitch A Ride On A Spacecraft To Colonize Mars
Kukil Bora – International Business Times
While horror movies often portray humans who fear invaders from Mars, scientists are examining what can happen when microorganisms from Earth hitch a ride on a spacecraft to Mars.
NASA Curiosity rover will wield its drill on Mars for the third time
Amina Khan – Los Angeles Times
Is third time the charm? NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is considering boring into the third rock ever drilled on the Red Planet, a sandstone that could potentially reveal a wealth of information about past life-friendly environments. NASA applies for shuttle strip permit
Jim Waymer,- Florida Today
NASA has applied for a federal permit to dredge and fill 40 acres of wetlands that link to the Indian River Lagoon to pave the way for commercial spacecraft that could launch and land where the space shuttle once touched down.
COMPLETE STORIES
Agreement Formalizes French, U.S. Roles on Ocean-mapping Satellite Mission
Peter B. de Selding – Space News
The French space agency, CNES, on May 2 said it had signed with NASA a formal work-share agreement on the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) altimetry satellite to be launched in 2020.
The agreement, signed by CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, calls for CNES to provide the satellite's platform, a radio-frequency unit for the U.S.-built Ka-band Radar Interferometer, a Doppler positioning instrument and an altimeter. In addition, France will provide the SWOT mission's satellite command-and-control center, a network of data-reception stations and the French ground segment.
Le Gall said in a May 2 interview that the total French contribution is valued at about 174 million euros, or $238 million, and is being partly financed through the French government's Investing in the Future bond issue.
NASA will provide the satellite's launch vehicle, the U.S. ground segment and the satellite's payload — the radar interferometer, dubbed KaRIN; a radiometer and GPS receiver.
In an April report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said the NASA share of the SWOT budget is estimated at around $700 million. GAO also said the program was at risk of having to replace or reduce the capabilities of the French nadir altimeter because of possible cost overruns.
Le Gall said this is not currently considered an issue given that the mission is still six years from launch.
SWOT will be the latest in what in 2020 will be a 30-year line of U.S.-French altimetry missions, starting with Topex-Poseidon and then the Jason series of ocean-altimetry satellites.
SWOT will be the latest in what in 2020 will be a 30-year line of U.S.-French altimetry missions, starting with Topex-Poseidon and then the Jason series of ocean-altimetry satellites.
U.S. Sanctions against Russia Sowing Confusion, Caution among Space Firms
Peter B. de Selding – Space News
Morocco's decision to drop the European version of Russia's Soyuz rocket as a backup launch option for two Moroccan reconnaissance satellites is the latest example of the ripple effects of the U.S. government's sanctions against Russia for its incursion into Ukraine, industry officials said.
Morocco's hypersensitivity to any possible licensing issues with the two satellites may be an extreme case of risk aversion. It remains unclear whether the European Soyuz — launched from French territory under French legal authority and sold by Europe's Arianespace consortium — will ever be affected by the expanding sanctions imposed by the United States and other governments against Russia.
Even before the Ukrainian issue, officials in Morocco's capital refused to acknowledge a contract with French manufacturers to build the satellites, which will be launched by Europe's new Vega rocket.
But Morocco's prudence is reflective of the confusion that surrounds the U.S. government's intentions as the Ukrainian crisis appears to worsen and the confrontation with Russia heats up, officials said.
The U.S. State Department on April 28 said it would deny requests to export defense hardware and services — categories that under the U.S. Munitions List include satellites and satellite components — to Russia if the exports "contribute to Russia's military capabilities."
State Department officials said they are reviewing their backlog of export-license requests to determine which might be construed as aiding Russia's military. It is not clear that launches of commercial satellites on Russian rockets, which account for a large share of the annual commercial satellite launch activity, will ever be denied.
For now, industry officials said, licenses are being neither denied nor approved — a tactic the U.S. government used starting in 1999 when it blocked U.S. satellites from being launched on Chinese rockets. The China policy remains in effect 15 years later, surviving on the idea that a commercial launch aboard a Chinese rocket constitutes aiding China's military.
The expanded sanctions policy would appear to complicate a major lobbying effort that U.S. companies had been preparing to secure U.S. government approvals for civil and commercial satellites to be launched on Russian rockets.
The length to which regulatory or legislative opinion might go in extending the sanctions' reach was illustrated by a U.S. Court of Federal Claims temporary injunction against future U.S. purchases of the Russian engines used on the U.S. Atlas 5 rocket for military satellite launches.
The Federal Claims Court judge was ostensibly ruling on a request by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to open future U.S. Air Force launch awards to competitive bidding. But the court's injunction drew a straight line between the current sanctions and Russia's aerospace industry.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin was placed on the U.S. sanctions list, as an individual, in March. The sanctions specifically said then that Rogozin was targeted because he was deputy prime minister, and not because of any Russian industrial activities he may oversee.
But the court judge concluded that Rogozin's position, which includes management of Russia's space sector, makes it likely that he derives benefit from Russian defense exports, including the export of rocket engines.
That line of reasoning could be used to stop Orbital Sciences from further purchases of Russian engines on its Antares rocket, and to all but shut down the business of launching commercial satellites with U.S. parts on Russian rockets.
Reston, Virginia-based International Launch Services, which markets Russia's Proton rocket, has declined to comment on how the sanctions have affected its business. Industry officials have said shipping licenses for satellites heading to the Proton launch base in Kazakhstan, which is run by Russia, have been held up by the State Department.
"They are sympathetic to our problem, but not forthcoming" with license approvals, one satellite industry official said. Satellites owned by SES of Luxembourg, Turksat of Turkey, Inmarsat of London and the Mexican government are all scheduled for launch in the coming months on Proton rockets, and all carry U.S. components requiring shipping licenses.
Other satellites being readied for launch at Russian-run launch operations include Paris-based Eutelsat's Eutelsat 3B telecommunications spacecraft. Built by Airbus Defence and Space of Europe, Eutelsat 3B is in Long Beach, California, preparing for a launch aboard a Sea Launch rocket. Sea Launch is owned by Russian interests.
Eutelsat spokeswoman Vanessa O'Connor said April 25 that the satellite has received all necessary licenses to launch aboard Sea Launch.
The Airbus-built Express AM4R telecommunications satellite, owned by the Russian Satellite Communications Co. of Moscow, has arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in preparation for a May launch.
Both these satellites appeared beyond the reach of sanctions until the April 28 announcement, which said the State Department will now move to revoke existing licenses if they are deemed to help Russia's military. It was not immediately clear whether the fact of launching a U.S. satellite or satellite components on a Russian rocket is, by itself, viewed as helping Russia's military.
Skybox Imaging of Mountain View, California, has a satellite scheduled for a mid-June launch as a secondary passenger on a Soyuz vehicle from Baikonur — the same launch that was to carry Canada's M3MSat maritime messaging satellite before the Canadian government, citing the Ukrainian situation, refused to permit the launch.
Skybox told SpaceNews it would have no comment on the status of the satellite scheduled to be on the Soyuz launch.
Two British government satellites are on the same Soyuz, and the British government has said it has no problem with that. "Our government's policy on sanctions is targeted more toward military exports," a British government official said.
The April 28 State Department policy announcement reads in part:
"Effective immediately, the Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) will deny pending applications for export or re-export of any high technology defense article or services regulated under the U.S. Munitions List to Russia or occupied Crimea that contribute to Russia's military capabilities.
"In addition, the Department is taking action to revoke any existing export licenses which meet these conditions. All other pending applications and existing licenses will receive a case-by-case evaluation to determine their contribution to Russia's military capabilities."
Matt Reed: So reliant on Russia, it's scary
Matt Reed – Florida Today
Making the most of Soviet space technology once seemed like an economical way to keep peace with the Russians.
Today, the Space Coast's signature industry relies so much on Russian rockets and engines, the dependence has become a national security risk if not an embarrassment. And some actions last week by Congress and the military may only prolong that dependence.
Consider our predicament as U.S.-Russian relations worsen over the Ukraine:
• NASA must pay Russia $70 million per seat to launch U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station. We're still years away from launching crews on American rockets.
• United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket — the Ford F-150 of the space world — blasts off using a Russian engine built in the Ukraine. NASA and the Air Force have relied on the Atlas V to launch the Curiosity Mars probe and dozens of satellites for spying, communication and GPS.
• A successful space contractor, Orbital Sciences, relies on updated Soviet engines to launch cargo to the space station from Virginia.
• The Boeing Co. and Sierra Nevada Corp. plan to launch their next-generation crew vehicles — a capsule and small space plane, respectively — on the Atlas V.
To ease fears, United Launch Alliance says it stockpiled two years' worth of Russian RD-180 engines and could switch to all-American Delta rockets to fulfill its contracts.
But we're still stuck when it comes to launching Americans to the International Space Station, the engineering extravaganza that cost NASA $27 billion to build and run, not counting the cost of space shuttle flights.
That fact was not lost on Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees Russia's defense and space programs and is a target of U.S. sanctions.
"I suggest the U.S. delivers its astronauts to the ISS using a trampoline," Rogozin said Wednesday on his English-language Twitter account.
Uh-oh.
Why trust Russians?
Until recently, cooperating with Russia on space seemed like a good idea.
The Russians had expertise in alloys and a need for hard currency. Americans thought buying engines and supporting that country's space program would keep Russian rocket scientists working on peaceful business pursuits — not moving to Iran or North Korea.
Lockheed Martin capitalized development of the RD-180 engine by Russian company NPO Energomash in the 1990s. Today, Lockheed and the Boing Co. are partners in United Launch Alliance, with a near monopoly on U.S. defense launches.
I'll skip the retelling of what happened to the space shuttle and its replacement programs except to say that bad decisions spanned two presidencies, three NASA administrators and numerous committee chairmanships. Pick someone to blame. You'll be at least partly right.
So it was heartening last week to see Congress and the Pentagon take steps to regain American space programs' independence.
On Wednesday, U.S. House members authorized Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to spend $220 million on developing a "domestic alternative" rocket engine. The law calls for a "full and open competition" to build it — not something the Air Force is very good at. The engine could be ready in five years.
A key House Appropriations subcommittee also increased NASA's budget for its "commercial crew" program by $89 million in 2015. That's the most the Republican-led panel has ever endorsed, but short of the $848 million the Obama administration said it needed.
Congress and the Pentagon didn't exactly launch a new space race.
We need one.
Free the Dragon
The one entirely "Made in the USA" competitor for the program's contracts — SpaceX — responded to Rogozin's trampoline comment by promoting its Dragon MK2 spaceship for carrying astronauts. Space X has already delivered cargo to the station.
It also wants to compete for defense launches. But the Air Force didn't want to wait.
It awarded a no-bid contract to United Launch Alliance for 34 satellite launches over the next four years.
Never mind that SpaceX says it can launch satellites for a quarter of ULA's price of $400 million per launch. The long-term reliance on Russian technology makes the Air Force decision all the more questionable. A judge halted the deal Thursday.
It's time Congress, NASA and the Pentagon made independence a higher priority.
I don't want to live on the Trampoline Coast.
Ochoa: Johnson Space Center continues to inspire youth and innovation
Ellen Ochoa – Houston Chronicle
Did you know that there's been a Houstonian in space every minute of the past 13 ½ years? Or that Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center leads a 15-country team ensuring safe and successful operations of a multinational crew onboard the International Space Station?
Houstonians can be proud of the ongoing accomplishments of our talented team at JSC. Our astronauts are living and working on the space frontier, performing fundamental scientific investigations, carrying out research and development with direct benefit on Earth and learning about human health and spacecraft systems to prepare for Mars exploration.
We also have developed innovative methods to spur U.S. companies to develop capabilities to deliver cargo and crew to the space station, heralding the first examples of commerce associated with human presence in space. A new spacecraft, Orion, is being developed by the JSC community, capable of carrying astronauts to and from a variety of deep-space destinations, and as part of a long-term strategy to get humans to Mars, we're planning a mission to an asteroid redirected to a lunar orbit. We're engaged in technology development to support that strategy, including closed-loop life support systems, advanced space suits and human robotics assistants.
Because of the promise of application to challenges on Earth, we partner with companies in a variety of industries, including the energy and medical sectors so vital to Houston.
In just one week in April, we captured and berthed the latest U.S. cargo vehicle to arrive at the space station, conducted a spacewalk to repair a piece of equipment, tested the Orion parachute system in Arizona, completed an important vibration test for the upcoming first test flight of Orion, and demonstrated a lander concept vehicle with new technologies that will inform future landers on planetary surfaces.
Today's youth continue to be inspired by human activities in space. In 2012, more than 2 million teachers and 43 million students from 49 countries participated in student experiments and activities associated with the space station. And millions of people in 170 countries watched the recent National Geographic show "Live from Space," featuring astronauts on the station; concurrently through social media, #LivefromSpace reached nearly 600 million unique users on Twitter.
Human spaceflight is also an activity that unites humanity; building on the International Space Station partnership, 12 agencies representing 27 nations produced a Global Exploration Roadmap last year that enumerates common space exploration goals while accommodating a variety of national interests.
The work at JSC represents those qualities that exemplify the best of Houston - innovation, internationalism and inspiration. We appreciate being part of the Houston community, and invite Houstonians to support us in advancing human space exploration.
Space notebook: Drones, 3 launches in 2 weeks, SpaceX delivers
James Dean – Florida Today
Space Florida ready to release drones
Looking for a unique Mother's Day experience? Take mom to watch some drones.
Space Florida next Sunday will host a flight demonstration featuring unmanned aerial systems, or UAS — popularly known as drones — from more than 10 companies.
The all-day event will help open the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's annual Unmanned Systems conference and trade show, hosted in Orlando this year from May 12 to 15.
The low-altitude flights will take place over Exploration Park, the planned research and development center just outside Kennedy Space Center's south gate.
Public viewing will be available at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where paying guests will be able to watch the action on a large screen and see some vehicle fly-overs.
Excitement builds over test flights
Flight hardware arriving within 12 to 18 months for the first launches of commercial crew vehicles should help rekindle shuttle-like excitement around the Cape, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager said last week.
"We have hardware and we have vehicles, and we have launch pads, and now it's about actually pulling all those pieces together to then go fly," Kathy Lueders told NASA TV. "I'm positive within a year, year-and-a-half, you're going to start seeing these pieces of these vehicles start showing up at the Cape. And as our team starts seeing that and understands what that feels like, you'll start getting that excitement again."
NASA plans to award contracts as soon as August to companies that could fly astronauts to the International Space Station from either Cape Canaveral Air Force Station or Kennedy Space Center. Boeing, Sierra Nevada and SpaceX are the contenders.
So far, Sierra Nevada is the only company known to have booked a launch for an orbital test flight of its Dream Chaser mini-shuttle, targeted for 2016. NASA hopes to begin flying crews to the ISS in 2017.
For many current and former local space program workers, "a little piece of their heart was kind of taken away when the shuttle program retired" in 2011, said Lueders, who was recently promoted to lead the Commercial Crew Program from KSC after months as its acting manager.
"But I'm planning on filling that hole again as we start seeing these missions show up," she said.
Three launches in two weeks
With the first leg of the Triple Crown behind you, saddle up for a rocket launch trifecta set to unfold from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station over the next two weeks.
All three rockets operating from Cape pads could blast off within a 12-day span starting Saturday.
At 9:39 a.m. Saturday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 aims to launch six commercial satellites for Orbcomm. Then at 8:07 p.m. May 15, a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket is scheduled to lift off with the Air Force's next GPS satellite. ULA's Atlas V would be next out of the gates on May 22 with a National Reconnaissance Office mission, with a yet to be announced launch window.
Launch schedules change frequently, so stay tuned.
Morpheus nears toughest KSC tests
A successful free flight last Wednesday set the stage for NASA's prototype Morpheus lander to attempt its final two planned flights at Kennedy Space Center later this month.
During those flights, a sensor package will evaluate landing sites and control the four-legged vehicle's descent.
On Wednesday, the sensors assessed safe landing sites but did not navigate the lander as it touched down in a lunar-like hazard field north of KSC's shuttle runway.
The Johnson Space Center-led Project Morpheus is testing autonomous landing sensors and an engine that burns non-toxic propellants, technologies that could be integrated into future exploration spacecraft.
Unpressurized "trunk" emptied
For the first time last week, payloads were removed from the unpressurized "trunk" of SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule and installed outside the International Space Station.
The station's 58-foot robotic arm, with the Dextre robot attached, removed a package of four high-definition, Earth-observing cameras and then a laser communication experiment called OPALS.
The Dragon is targeting a May 18 departure from the station and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, one month after its launch from Cape Canaveral. The trunk is ditched before re-entry, but Dragon remains the only vehicle that can return a significant mass of cargo and experiments to Earth.
In a Twitter message, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced plans late this month to unveil a version of the Dragon designed to carry astronauts.
"No trampoline needed," he joked — a reference to a Russian official's quip that U.S. astronauts would need a trampoline to access the ISS without Russia's cooperation.
See more of KSC land-speed run
Remember the "supercar" that topped 270 mph on Kennedy Space Center's shuttle runway in February?
Hennessey Performance promises a behind-the-scenes look at the Venom GT's record-setting run in "Breaking Barriers," a documentary airing at 9 p.m. EDT Wednesday on the National Geographic Channel.
A press release says the one-hour documentary "showcases men with the vision, grit and determination to shatter records and realize dreams of speed."
Antares gets a new launch date from Wallops
Tamara Dietrich - Newport News (VA) Daily Press
Another Antares rocket is set to blast off from Wallops to resupply the International Space Station, but most of Hampton Roads will likely sleep right through it.
NASA announced Friday that the new launch date for Orbital Science Corp.'s second ISS mission from Virginia's Eastern Shore will be Tuesday, June 10 — at 2:07 in the morning. The launch window is five minutes.
According to Keith Koehler at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, both the Visitor Center and the public beach at Assateague Island will be open to spectators, despite the late hour. NASA also plans to stream the event live on NASA TV beginning at 1:15 a.m.
Hampton Roads residents who want a firsthand view can also step outside and look to the Eastern sky: The Antares is a medium-lift booster that can easily be seen throughout the region as it vaults from the pad, weather permitting, sending the Cygnus space freighter into low-Earth orbit.
The Cygnus is expected to arrive at the space station on June 13, and remain until July 11.
Dulles-based Orbital said Friday that its team has already integrated the two-stage rocket and will transfer it to the transporter/erector/launcher (TEL) in mid-May. The Cygnus will be fully fueled in the next several weeks, then mated to the Antares.
After the vehicles undergo testing, the Cygnus will be loaded with final crew supplies and cargo. Then the rocket and spacecraft will be moved to Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at the flight facility.
The launch was originally set for May 6, but was postponed because of a string of setbacks to a SpaceX resupply launch from Cape Canaveral, and scheduling conflicts with the space station.
To view the launch on NASA TV, go to nasa.gov/nasatv. For more information on Wallops launches or viewing sites, call the Wallops Public Information Line at 757-824-2050. Astronaut pair happy to step into Hall
Scott Gunnerson – Florida Today
Shannon Lucid and Jerry Ross of the shuttle era were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Each told of their challenges, triumphs and lighter moments of their careers in space to an audience assembled underneath Shuttle Atlantis.
"It is amazing to hear what these people have done," said a 22-year-old Daniel Abercrombie, who graduates this month from Penn State with degrees in physics and nuclear engineering. "It is so inspirational."
Lucid is the only American woman to serve aboard Mir, the Russian space station. She logged 5,354 flight hours in space, a record for a female astronaut until 2007.
"My favorite was the long-duration flight, because before I flew on Mir, I thought I knew a lot about living and working in space," Lucid said. "After being up there two or three months, I learned so much more."
Lucid flew aboard Atlantis three times, including the trip to Mir for her 188-day stay, for which she received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
Jerry Ross was the first person to complete seven space shuttle missions. Five of those missions were aboard Atlantis. He spent more than 1,393 hours in space and 58 hours, 18 minutes on nine spacewalks.
Ross said some of his best memories were on the ground with the space workers behind the scenes preparing for missions.
"We shared the same love, dedication and excitement about what we were collectively doing," Ross said.
"It made each day new and never boring. I always looked forward to getting to work to see what was next on the agenda."
Abercrombie, who is an Astronaut Scholarship Foundation scholar, said the ceremony inspired him to strive for greater accomplishments in science and technology.
"It left me feeling extremely impressed with our nation's history and proud," said Abercrombie, who plans to attend MIT in the fall to study experimental nuclear and particle physics.
"I really hope I can make them proud in the future."
Astronaut launches space meal contest
Pallab Ghosh – BBC News
British Astronaut Tim Peake has asked schoolchildren to create a meal for him to eat in space.
Major Peake has launched a competition to design a tasty meal for his mission to the International Space Station (ISS) next year.
The winning contestants will develop their ideas further with celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal.
The Judges will be looking for fun and healthy menus that have an element of "Britishness".
Major Peake tactfully told BBC News that some of the food on the ISS was not as "nice as it could be".
"It is nutritious but some of it is mushy, it lacks taste and texture," he eventually confided.
He wants school children to come up with something better, which he proposes to eat during his six month mission.
"You don't want a mushy paste. You want something with texture and a crunch to recreate some of the memories of eating food on planet Earth".
Much of the food sent up to the ISS is dehydrated and contained in vacuum packs to save space and weight. The crew then add water and often eat the food straight from the pack or suck gloopy mixtures through straws.
Astronauts often lose their sense of smell, which diminishes the sense of taste. This is because blood flows to their heads owing to the lack of gravity, and this causes their faces to swell and blocks their noses.
Spicy foods are therefore popular on the ISS, with the Russian crews in particular requesting ample supplies of hot sauce.
Crumbs!
Use of salt is kept to a minimum because it inhibits bone formation in space and anything crumbly is strictly prohibited. Small particles can float out through the space station and get into the eyes of astronauts and into the machinery.
The competition is being organised by Jeremy Curtis of the UK Space Agency. He hopes that school-children will be able to reinvent the image of British cuisine through some stunning entries.
"We want Tim to be happy. We also want him to say to his international crew mates: 'Here is some British food' - and they'll say 'We've heard all about British food!' But we want to come up with something so good that they'll say - 'We like British Food. This is really good!'".
According to Mr Curtis, winning entries will be tasty, nutritious and have a British twist. But what does a "British twist" mean? He says that that is a question he would like to stimulate discussion in schools.
"They would work out what we meant by British food. It might be fish and chips but you could argue that those both come from France and the Netherlands. Curry, on the other hand, what could be more British than curry!?"
The winners will work with celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, who will help them develop the overall eating experience, so that it is as close as possible to an enjoyable meal on Earth.
Special occasion
Major Peake told BBC News that Mr Blumenthal would bring a "wealth of experience" to the competition.
"On the ISS you have artificial lights, an artificial atmosphere and so eating a meal is one of those moments where you want that special link back to Earth and make it a special occasion," he explained.
The competition is open to classes, other groups such as after-school clubs, scouts, guides and individuals. There are two categories, one for primary level children and one for secondary level children, with one winner in each category.
Space Day: Astronaut from Maine shares space adventures
Bonnie Washuk - Lewiston (ME) Sun Journal
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy asked Auburn Middle School students to imagine they were floating near the gym ceiling.
"Picture it — you bounce off the ceiling, push off the wall and send your buddy floating into the (next) person. Wouldn't that be cool?" Cassidy asked Friday during a school assembly.
"That's exactly what it's like on the International Space Station, except we don't push our buddies into the wall," he said.
Cassidy, 44, grew up in Maine and spent six months on the space station last year. He was the keynote Space Day speaker at Auburn Middle School.
Space Day, founded by John Glenn, is an international event to raise awareness of careers in science, engineering, technology and space.
With no gravity in space, "you can take massive objects the size of a refrigerator and move it around with one hand," Cassidy said. Or flick a Cheerio "and it goes zigging."
Concepts of force, momentum and acceleration "are what we're experiencing on a daily basis up there on the space station," he said.
Cassidy told students he didn't grow up dreaming of becoming an astronaut. "I never imagined that." He spent his early years in the Bath area, and moved to York with his family when he was in fifth grade.
After graduating from York High School and the U.S. Naval Academy, he became a Navy Seal. He was awarded the Bronze Star for leading a nine-day operation in the Zharwar Kili cave complex in Afghanistan.
Cassidy applied to the astronaut program and in 2004, he was selected by NASA and moved to Houston.
"I live in Texas, but Maine will always be my home," he said.
After years of training, Cassidy was ready to fly into space. The rocket that took him and other astronauts to the space station launched from Kazakhstan. Six hours later, they docked at the space station.
On board, everything floats, which takes getting used to.
"At first, your legs are hitting things," he said.
The primary job is conducting experiments and doing maintenance.
"We recycle 90 percent of the water," Cassidy said. Sweat from shirts is evaporated and the water goes into an environmental control system, "along with pee," he said. "We pee into a machine. We have a machine that turns pee into tomorrow's drinking water. Fortunately, it works," he said to laughter from the audience.
Free time is spent looking out the window, Cassidy said as he displayed photos of Earth from space, night shots of the Florida coast, oceans, desserts and clouds of purple and pink.
"It's really, really amazing and it never gets old," Cassidy said.
'This is bad'
Halfway through his mission, three astronauts left the space station and three arrived, including Karen Nyberg of the United States, one from Russia and Luca Parmitano from Italy.
Parmitano took his first and second space walk outside the station with Cassidy. On his second walk, something went wrong. Parmitano told Cassidy he could feel water in his helmet. Cassidy made his way over, peered into the helmet and saw globs of water floating around.
Water in a backpack was leaking into the astronaut's oxygen, so water as well as oxygen was getting into the helmet. "It covered his eyes, nose and ears. Right before we got back inside, it was around his mouth."
The space walk was aborted, but getting Parmitano inside quickly wasn't possible; each astronaut was tethered from a different direction, "meaning we couldn't go in together."
Making matters worse, light from the sun was disappearing, and water in the helmet cut out Parmitano's communication.
"I thought, 'This is bad,'" Cassidy said. "I remember his body disappearing into the blackness."
Each astronaut made his own way back to the hatch. Once inside, Cassidy had to wait for Parmitano's suit to get to a safe pressure level before taking him out. Meanwhile, more water had come into the spacesuit.
"I was watching the gauge," he said, worrying whether Parmitano would drown or die from unsafe altitude pressure. Within six minutes, Parmitano got out safely.
"It was a scary space walk," Cassidy said.
Officials have recently identified the problem and are implementing "the fix to all spacesuits so we're comfortable getting back to spacewalks again," Cassidy said.
Tumbling to Earth
As Cassidy showed pictures of himself exercising, he told students the space station has a treadmill, a bicycle and weight machines. Using them is critical to keep "our bones from getting too frail." When he came back to Earth, he had little bone-density loss, Cassidy said.
The ride back to Earth was a little wild, he said.
As the ship entered the atmosphere, "heat shields on the bottom of the capsule are taking the lion's share of the energy," he said, showing photos of plasma curling along windows. That part of the descent lasted 15 minutes, and the G force increased to four or five.
Eventually, a parachute opened. Until it did, they tumbled "like a sock in a dryer," Cassidy said.
After landing, military helicopters pulled astronauts out of the capsule, sat them in a chair and handed them a phone to call home.
Within 24 hours, he was back at his residence.
After living without gravity for six months, "I felt very heavy. My head felt heavy," Cassidy said. He could walk slowly, but could not bend over. It took a month to regain full balance, he said.
Former astronaut, KU grad shares tales of NASA's early days
Joanna Hlavacek – Lawrence (KS) Journal World
Around 200 people packed the Spahr Engineering Classroom on the Kansas University campus Friday afternoon to hear a speech from former NASA astronaut and KU alumnus Joe Engle.
The lecture was held in conjunction with the 70th anniversary celebration of KU's aerospace engineering department.
Engle, a Kansas native, flew two missions in space — one in 1981 and one in 1985— and is the only person who has manually flown the space shuttle from re-entering the atmosphere to landing.
During his presentation Friday, the 1955 KU graduate spoke fondly of his time as test-pilot on the X-15, a rocket-powered aircraft that set flight speed and height records in the early 1960s.
The X-15 was part of a series of experimental aircraft used to test and evaluate new technologies and aerodynamic concepts. Engle, 81, said the X-15 research laid much of the groundwork for the space shuttle, though "we weren't aware of or focused on it at the time," he said.
"The objective of all these aircraft was to gather data and build a better plane. At that time, it meant faster airplanes than the bad guys," Engle said, referring to the Soviet Union. "Speed was the key then. They weren't really concerned or looking for altitude expansion."
Despite these initial goals, Engle ended up reaching an altitude of 80,600 feet during a flight in 1965, earning him his official astronaut wings from the United States Air Force. At age 32, he had become America's youngest astronaut.
The plane itself "had some unique features," Engle said. Its landing gear, made up of a nose-wheel carriage and two rear skis, proved a challenge for Engle and his fellow pilots. The X-15's skis did not expand past the ventral fin, requiring the pilot to jettison the lower fin just before landing.
He likened the plane's unwieldy steering to the "little cars at Disney World" and recalled the narrow, cramped space of the cockpit.
"When I got in that thing, boy, I was really crammed. My knees were up against my chest," said the 6-foot-1-inch Engle, eliciting chuckles from the audience. "But I wasn't going to say a damn thing."
Engle, who resides in Houston, is now a test-pilot emeritus of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and continues to work as a technical advisor to NASA.
Fifty years after his first flight on the X-15, Engle said he's still amazed by the record-setting aircraft and the engineers who created it.
"You got to hand it to the people at that time, because they really put their careers and reputations on the line. And you have to recall, all this happened with the engineering tools that were available in the 1950s," he said. "They didn't have iPhones or computers. They were walking around carrying slide rules."
Hardy Little Micro-Organisms From Earth Could Hitch A Ride On A Spacecraft To Colonize Mars
Kukil Bora – International Business Times
While horror movies often portray humans who fear invaders from Mars, scientists are examining what can happen when microorganisms from Earth hitch a ride on a spacecraft to Mars.
The microorganisms that can board a spacecraft and have the potential to contaminate other planets make it difficult for scientists to determine whether a life form previously existed there or was simply introduced by explorers. Three recent scientific papers, published in the journal Astrobiology, examined the risks of interplanetary exchange of organisms using research from the International Space Station.
Currently, a spacecraft landing on Mars or other planets where life might exist must meet requirements for a maximum allowable level of microbial life. And those acceptable levels were based on studies of how various life forms survive exposure to the rigors associated with space travel.
"If you are able to reduce the numbers to acceptable levels, a proxy for cleanliness, the assumption is that the life forms will not survive under harsh space conditions," Kasthuri J. Venkateswaran, a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a co-author on all three papers, said in a statement. However, that assumption may not hold up, as recent research has shown that some microbes are hardier than expected, and may use various protective mechanisms to survive interplanetary flights.
According to scientists, spore-forming bacteria, such as Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032, are of particular concern because spores can withstand certain sterilization procedures and may be able to survive the harsh environments of outer space or planetary surfaces.
As part of the research, scientists exposed Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 to a simulated Mars environment that kills standard spores in 30 seconds. But the hardy organism survived for 30 minutes.
In another recent experiments, spores were exposed for 18 months on the European Technology Exposure Facility, or EuTEF, a test facility mounted outside the space station.
"After testing exposure to the simulated Mars environment, we wanted to see what would happen in real space, and EuTEF gave us the chance," Venkateswaran said. "To our surprise, some of the spores survived for 18 months."
In another investigation, spores of Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 and another spore-forming bacteria called Bacillus subtilis-168 were dried on pieces of spacecraft-quality aluminum and subjected for a year and a half to the extraterrestrial solar radiation and temperature fluctuations on EuTEF. The samples also were subjected to a simulated Martian atmosphere using EuTEF.
Scientists found that most of the organisms exposed to solar UV radiation in space and in the Mars spectrum were killed, but when UV rays were filtered out and samples were kept in the dark, about 50 percent or more of the organisms survived.
According to scientists, the findings suggest that spores could survive a trip on a spacecraft to Mars if they are sheltered against solar radiation.
"Future exploration missions can use the results of these investigations to help find ways to minimize the risk of contaminating another planet," NASA said in a statement. "The findings also will help prevent scientists from incorrectly identifying an organism that hitchhiked on the exploring spacecraft as a native of the planet, when in fact it's an invader."
NASA Curiosity rover will wield its drill on Mars for the third time
Amina Khan – Los Angeles Times
Is third time the charm? NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is considering boring into the third rock ever drilled on the Red Planet, a sandstone that could potentially reveal a wealth of information about past life-friendly environments. The rover already did a little test-drilling Tuesday on the target rock known as "Windjana," named for a gorge in Western Australia, according to officials at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge, which manages the Mars robot. The operation left a hole in the fine-grained sandstone that was about 0.8 inches deep with a heap of powdery pulverized rock surrounding it. The dug-up rock powder was a grayish color, in stark contrast to the reddish brown of the surface, scientists said. "The team intends to have Curiosity drill for a powdered-rock sample at this site in the coming days," JPL spokesman Guy Webster said.
Windjana is intriguing to researchers in part because "some portions of the rock are harder than others, creating the interesting bumpy textures," Caltech scientist and Curiosity team member Melissa Rice said in a statement. Scientists want to understand why some sandstones are harder than others because over long timescales, the softness or hardness of a rock has a role in shaping the landscape. That's because softer rock can erode away more quickly while harder rock remains intact for much longer.
Studying these rocks will also give them clues about what the environment was like at the time, scientists said.
"We want to learn more about the wet process that turned sand deposits into sandstone here," Curiosity's lead scientist, Caltech geologist John Grotzinger, said in a statement. "What was the composition of the fluids that bound the grains together?"
Curiosity's first two drilling targets were two rocks that sat near each other in a place called Yellowknife Bay, about 2.5 miles northeast from its current location. Last year, the drilled mudstone rocks revealed a past watery environment rich in chemical elements necessary for life as well as a chemical energy source that could have fueled Earth-like organisms like chemolithoautotrophs.
Curiosity's ultimate goal is Mt. Sharp, the three-mile high mound in the middle of Gale Crater whose layers of sedimentary rock could potentially reveal a range of past habitable environments on Mars.
NASA applies for shuttle strip permit
Jim Waymer,- Florida Today
NASA has applied for a federal permit to dredge and fill 40 acres of wetlands that link to the Indian River Lagoon to pave the way for commercial spacecraft that could launch and land where the space shuttle once touched down.
The application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is an early step toward readying the old shuttle strip for commercial launches, as NASA enters negotiations to have Space Florida take over the shuttle runway.
Space Florida — the agency responsible for promoting aerospace in the Sunshine State — wants to build new infrastructure at the former shuttle landing strip to support future commercial spaceflight endeavors such as XCOR Aerospace and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's planned Stratolaunch Systems. Those efforts deliver suborbital rockets by taking off and landing like planes, rather than via vertical launch pads.
"Space Florida can help finance the infrastructure to run power and utilities and stormwater a long distance out there to accommodate future growth," said Dale Ketcham, director of strategic alliances for Space Florida.
Last year, NASA announced its intent to transfer control of the Shuttle Landing Facility to Space Florida, saving the space agency $2 million yearly in operations and maintenance.
"We're going to be negotiating with NASA for quite some time," Ketcham said of the process that he anticipates will begin in a few weeks.
The project would fill almost 36 acres of wetlands and 5 acres of surface waters to develop two future tenant sites with aircraft hangars, aircraft aprons, taxiways, buildings, parking, utilities, roadways and stormwater ponds, according to the corps' public notice.
NASA is asking for a 10-year permit for the project.
The public has until May 22 to comment on the permit application.
The wetlands to be dredged or filled ultimately connect to the Indian River Lagoon.
The project, located at the west side of Kennedy Parkway, consists of two sites to be developed near both ends of the shuttle runway.
One site is almost 54 acres of vacant land on the north side of Astronaut Road, west of Kennedy Parkway. That future tenant site includes 23 acres of live oak and saw palmetto habitat, with a central portion of more than 22 acres of wetlands.
Another 106-acre future tenant site off of 39th Street NW and west of Kennedy Parkway has a railroad track and paved road, along with 58.5 acres of palmetto prairie wetland habitat, dominated by saw palmetto, the corps' notice says.
To make up for the wetlands impacts, NASA proposes to create a 30-acre wetland within Kennedy Space Center and to improve two old mosquito impoundments.
The corps determined the proposed project "may affect the Florida Scrub jay and the Eastern Indigo Snake," both federally threatened species. The corps will consult the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make sure the plans comply with the Endangered Species Act.
They'll also consult NOAA Fisheries, because the proposal would impact 5 acres of surface waters which ultimately link to the Indian River Lagoon.
END
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